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Heroes of Prophecy
The Heroes of Prophecy are what historians have come to call the group of adventurers that followed one of the ancient Yotorian prophecies. By doing so and collecting the ancient artifacts of many of the gods of Goric they were able to prevent a new god from another celestial realm from invading Goric. Origins Many of the Heroes of Prophecy were brought together originally by the Great White Wizard Dillman acting through a Shang-Tsian intermediary named Kobyashi. The group was tasked to recover a handful of magical items that had been stolen by one of Dillman's apprentices. Many historians believe that since a wizard of Dillman's ability could easily recover his stolen property himself he recognized that these heroes were referred to in the prophecy and massaged events to get them to meet and begin working together. The Beginning In the Spring of 1129 a thief named Taris managed to magically charm the apprentice of the Great White Wizard Dillman, a woman named Patara. Under his influence she stole a number of the wizards artifacts and the two fled Emeron City On the 18th of Horse, 1129 Kobyashi, acting on behalf of Dillman, hired Dedekind Fried, Lylena and Pott'z to recover the items. Their investigation revealed that Taris was affiliated with to the Raven's Eye, the thief's guild of Emeron City. Following up on this, the trio secured an audience with the leader of the Raven's Eye, Trista Ravenlark. Trista informed the investigators that the theft was unsanctioned and that a search of Taris' room revealed several charm potions and evidence that he was associated with a mysterious figure in Antyoch named Devos. As a sign of good faith of the Eye's desire to return the items Trisa assigned a member of the Raven's Claw, Lena Talzwon, to accompany them. During their trip to Antyoch, a portal opened in the sky and two figures, Ferris Gerabaldi and Keesby, fell from it. The two were transported to Goric from their home dimension due to a failed magical experiment but joined the group in their mission. In Antyoch they learned that Devos was a wizard that had a home in the woods not far from the city. Investigation there led to a battle with the Devos and his undead, as well as Patara and Taris. The heroes proved victorious and investigation of the home revealed the magical items as well as a number of people encased in amber. Lylena was able to reverse the sell that held the victims. Among the trapped people were Dandy Lion and Qualinthalis Miertholas. More Allies Towards the end of Horse, 1129, Sir Lazrith of Fulton extended an offer to Lylena to gather a group of adventurers and travel to his estate in Fulton. She recruited Pott'z, Dedekind, Ferris, Keysbee, and Dandy to the effort. During the travel they encountered a Shang-Tsian samurai named Kagami and helped her fight off a pack of goblins. Claiming she owed them a debt for helping, she accompanied to Fulton as well. Sir Lazrith had dreams of creating an estate where human, elf, half-elf and all races could co-exit, however the anti-elf sentiment was strong and many of the elves who initially came to Fulton, had left in the face of the hostile racism of the human population. Worse a recent spate of murders had brought things nearly to the boiling point. The heroes assisted Lazrith in uncovering a plot to stoke the racism of the are to create a riot that would end with Lazrith dead and someone more predictable or controllable in his place. Little was known about this mastermind beyond a name: Darsalgen. The Haunting of Yadfim On the 12th of Unicorn Sir Arocan Gialiadin approached Dandy Lion, Qualinthalis Miertholas, Pott'z, and Dedekind Fried. He told them he'd heard of the work they performed for Sir Lazrith and the Great White Wizard Dillman. He explained that he'd been granted the estate of Yadfim by Baron Christopher Ravenut, but that something was wrong with the land and that laborers refused to stay more than a night or two. He asked them to find out what was going wrong and resolve it. The group departed and rode with with Sir Arocan rode to Yadfim, spending the night in the small manor house there. Dandy Lion had been to the estate back in 1073 with the Heroes of Unity and remembered well how mysterious creatures had been able to take the form of her companion Beastnut along with Lady Crystal Donovan turn the party against one another and execute two of their companions Horatio Glavewalker and a dwarf sailor known only as Salty. She immediately looked for signs of involvement of the creatures, but found none. Qualin began to suspect undead and began investigating the grounds but could find nothing conclusive. That night Dandy saw the apparitions of Salty and Horatio be killed again. Qualin suggested that the spirits may want something and that they secure the services of a cleric powerful enough to speak with the dead. Sir Arocan arranged for a cleric to come to the estate, who advised they wished to be buried closer to the homes they loved. Arocan arranged to have Horatio's bones delivered to the Glave Woods and Salty to be buried at sea. Once the bodies were relocated the haunting ceased and Sir Arocan was able to hire workers to help improve Yadfim. The Prophecy Revealed There shall be seven united by no visible ties But with these words their fate lies They shall release a Wyrm, powerful but meek This is how to know they are the ones you seek There is a minstrel, his voice unheard his tongue taken by a woman spurned Two from beyond will aid in in turn one carefree, the other stern One is an utter mystery The other trained in wizardry One form the plains, the last of his kind will help the chosen ones in this bind One from the Past of a time bygone will help to spur the quest along One from afar, seeking a sibling but when she finds him, she'll cut him like kindling There is a half-elf, granddaughter of a mage who shall make her mark on this historic page On the 16th of Griffon, 1129, Lylena went to an appointment with Professor Jaymes Chickwood at the Emeron Wizard's College missed a scheduled meeting. When she went to his office it was found ransacked though a red star had been hastily smeared on the floor. Lylena consulted Chickwoods friend Jon Sumnim immediately, who took one look at the star and said ordered her to gather her companions. Lylena and Sumnim hastily gathered Kagami of Tawa, Dandy Lion, Qualinthalis Miertholas, Dedekind Fried, and Pott'z and the party left immediately to track Chickwood's abductors. After a three day chase through the countryside they came upon the caravan that was carrying Chickwood and attacked it to retrieve him. Unfortunately one of the defenders of the caravan turned into an enormous red Dragon. Sumnim held it at bay while the other heroes began searching the other wagons, eventually finding the one that held Chickwood and freeing him. Chickwood and Sumnim drove the dragon off while the rest of the party finished off the warriors operating the caravans. Upon the return to Emeron City, Chickwood explained that he'd unearthed part of one of the Yotorian Prophecies, and that he believed it referred to the very people that had come to help him. He explained that a "Great Darkness" would come and that the forces trying to bring it about needed the artifacts of the Gods in order to initiate it. Accordingly, the heroes would need to preemptively gather the items referred to in the prophecy. The Prophecy Begins On the 25th of Griffon Sir Zadric Trield, the lord of the estate of Crossroad in the Barony of Rupmon offered a long a job to the adventurers who became the Heroes of Prophecy. Kagami of Tawa, Dandy Lion, Dedekind Fried, Ferris Gerabaldi, and Lylena traveled to his estate and he informed them that he may have a long term position, but he wanted proof that they were competent. He stated that he'd pay them to clear out a goblin warren nearby that had been causing problems for his estate. Aware of the lines of the prophecy stating They shall be recruited by a large lord| to begin the quest after a goblin's blood poured, ''they accepted the proposal. Accompanied by Sir Zadric's squire Yuden Vittel, the group headed out the following day. Kagami located some tracks and in short order they had found a goblin raiding party. Qualin charmed one of the creatures and it led them to the lair. In a huge battle the heroes were able to slay the beasts with Kagami cutting down the chieftain. Sir Zadric paid the group and explained that he had received word of someone or someones trying to gather specific artifacts. He was still working with his resources on the motive and a lot of details but head a name: Darsalgen. According to Sir Zadric this person was launched (or had launched) an expedition to the Plains of Galmar to find the fabled ''Club of Galmar. Expedition for the Club of Galmar They shall be recruited by a large lord to begin the quest after a goblin's blood poured The club of the barbaric earth god shall be the first sought The task shall be tough, the battle hard fought Qualinthalis split from the group to attend business in Rupmon, but the rest of the group rode to Emeron City to prepare for the expedition. Without Qualin they lacked any sort of clerical support for the trip so Kagami of Tawa decided to hire Jallik Maltar to accompany them. On the 9th of Lion, 1129 the expedition departed Emeron City. It consisted of Kagami, Ferris Garabaldi, Dedekind Fried, Lylena and Booknut, the grandson of the famous Hero of Unity, Beastnut. The journey was long and fraught with danger but by the 24th of Dragon they had found the decapitated remains of a the keep where the ''Club of Galmar'' was supposed held. The keep was filled with orcs, and the Heroes of Prophecy were forced to slay the beasts to recover the artifact. During the fighting a spell mishap performed by Ferris seemed to teleport Dandy Lion and Pott'z to them. As they were leaving the keep, the group was attacked by some barbarians. The Heroes of Prophecy interrogated one of the survivors and learned that Darsalgen had sent them to recover the Club of Galmar, but that all the orcs had stymied them. The prisoner also reveled that Darsalgen had pushed on to Wilaria, in the Eastern Reams, to search for the Bell of St. Chardastes, a powerful artifact of Akana. Trip to the Eastern Realms But east they continue, not west return For the Bell of Chardastes is the next in turn But still they are not done, The quest just starts They must complete many more parts On the 2nd of Bear, 1129, the Heroes of Prophecy finally arrived in the town of Hidencul in the Kingdom of Wilaria. After asking where the bell might be housed, the were directed to the church of Akana. Though it was after dark they went immediately, only to find Darsalgen and a number of barbarians in the process of stealing the Bell of St. Chardastes. The Heroes slew Darsalgen and his party, with Pott'z happily delivering the death blow on Darsalgen as he'd led the attack that wiped out his village the Galmarian and had vowed to kill him. The party was approached by a divining wizard named Eldruer. He told them that he'd seen that they were coming through and wished to return to the Kingdom of Emeron. He promised to magically teleport them there if they recovered three Griffon eggs. The Heroes agreed and in only a few days traveled to a griffon nest to recover the eggs. True to his world, Edlruer magically transported them back to Emeron City. Trip to the Dwarven Lands The Axe of Clangeddon, long thought lost shall be found again after some cost A hero long dead, to life again but not the same as he once had been T''he artifacts of the Beer God are surprisingly needed'' Perhaps by now some misgivings should be heeded T''he Helm of Brew is in a town run by two'' Dwarf and human have a pact and this town is the fact Within a fortnight of returning to Emeron City Sir Zadric Trield informed the Heroes of Prophecy that they had unearthed the probable location of the Battle Axe of Clangeddeon ''in the Kingdom of Thorgain. Lylena, Dedekind, Ferris, Keeysbee, Qualinthalis, Dandy, and Booknut left within days. High in the Dwarven Mountains they uncovered the axe, as well as the ''Helm of Theron Goblinsblood ''which contained the spirit of the ancient dwarven hero ("returning him to life," according to the prophecy.) Unfortunately Booknut, apparently aggrieved at not being appreciated to his satisfaction, made an effort to cause trouble for the group. He left the party and traveled to the nearest dwarven town to accuse the Heroes of having stolen it, seemingly out of spiteful revenge. Though a dwarven party dispatched did find the Heroes, Booknut's vengeance failed. The heroes explained the situation and, using the ''Helm of Theron Goblinsblood, convinced the dwarves to allow them to retain the axe temporarily until the crisis had passed. Returning from the Dwarven Mountains the Heroes reviewed the prophecy and saw a line that indicated the Brewmaster's Helm of Brewing would be in Hardale. The heroes located it in the possession of a dwarven tavernowner and brewer named Balix Stonetankard who was using it's power to know every recipe for every ale to make his tavern very successful. With the help of the Helm of Theron Goblinsblood, Dandy Lion was able to get Balix to hand over the helm. Another Ally from Beyond Other shall aid, here and there they may be corrupt, or selfish, or fair During their return from the Dwarven Mountains, a magical portal opened before the Heroes of Prophecy. An enormous beast with the body of a man but the head, horns and feet of a bull emerged from it. Ferris knew the creature, introducing him as Vestibule he stated that he was another servant of his master on his home world. Vestibule explained that Ferris' old rival Salvok attacked their master, who sent him here to warn Ferris. It seemed that the dark god that the prophecy said would try to invade Goric originated on Ferris' home world and that Salvok had allied with her. A Carnival Interlude Much can be found, in the minstrel's home The girdle, A hat and magic with no tome Once the heroes returned to Emeron City Jon Sumnim and Jaymes Chickwood provided the next portion of the Yotorian Prophecy. The translation indicated that Dedekind Fried needed to go "home." Some divination revealed that the traveling circus where he was raised was moving to the rural estate of Iest. On the 19th of Skeleton, Dedekind, Kagami, Qualin, Ferris, Keysbee and Vestibule reached the carnival, set up in the village. They found that the carnival had been taken over by the fortune teller, Esther, a witch who had taken Dedekind's tongue. She had apparently come into the Amulet of Yotia of great power and turned the previous leader of the carnival, Fitzgerald, into a mutated toad who was now in the freak show. Under her leadership she the carnival was earning a great deal of money and had unearthed the Brewmaster's Girdle of Binge and Modee's Hat of Performance which they used in their shows. However everyone was terrified of Esther and would far rather have seen her gone. A battle took place, wherein the Heroes of Prophecy defeated Esther and the carnies loyal to her and turned Fitzgerald back to his human form. The heroes spared Esther and those who had followed her in the fight and Fitzgerald pardoned all except for Esther, whom he banished. The bearer of the Girdle of Binge has been slain in the fighting and so the Heroes of Prophecy were able too collect it but the bearer of the hat, a carnie named Horace, refused to part with it. Dedekind was able to convince him to come with them, arguing that his bardic skills and adventuring would earn him far more coin than the carnival. A Betrayal The large lord, they've acted in his name It shall be learned holds some blame He works for a hero, hero no more whose defeat only comes after much gore While returning traveling from Iest to Emeron City the Heroes of Prophecy were accosted by Baron Christopher Ravenut. He demanded to know where the artifacts they'd collected were and was hostile at first. When he saw Dandy Lion, whom he had played with as a child, he agreed to hear them out. He explained that he believed that Sir Zadric Trield, whom they were working for, was gathering the items for a nefarious purpose and not to safeguard them as he had told the Heroes. They declined to hand over the artifacts in their possession, and explained that they'd already given the Club of Galmar to Sir Zadric, but agreed to investigate him and departed. Kagami, who had sword her service to Zadric, was especially affronted at the thought that he may have been deceiving them. On the 25th of Skeleton they reached Crossroad and Qualin, Kagami and Dandy confronted Sir Zadric about Baron Christopher's claims while Lylena, Booknut, Dedekind, Ferris, Keysbee and Vestibule waited outside the manor house. Zadric denied their claims, but invited them to leave his service if they were displeased. They decreed that they were going to leave his service for Baron Christopher's and he attacked them. The others joined in, but the battle was incredibly fierce. Ultimately, however, Sir Zadric was slain. Investigation of Zadric's manor revealed that he had sent the Club south to Eddie Drezzen, (who at this time was an impostor) and that the two were in league with someone named Sedrina. At this Qualin chimed in, explaining that a liche called Sedrina the Souless had destroyed the Order of the Fadalithis. Dandy informed them that Eddie was, in fact, an impostor and that while she didn't know where the real Eddie was, the one working with the others was using his name and good reputation. The heroes sent Booknut to Emeron City to report to professors Sumnim and Chickwood and after determining that Zadric's squire, Yuden Vittel, was not involved in his schemes, let him go. The Expedition South The prophecy indicated that the Heroes of Prophecy would need to be heading south to face Sedrina the Soulless and the imposer of Eddie Drezzen. Seeking assistance, Qualinthalis called upon the only other member of the Order of the Fadalithis he could find, an elf named Thorinislanthali (who as called Thorinis by most non-elves). Dandy called upon her old allies Trista Ravenlark and Taltharian, informing them that Eddie was an imposer and might know where the real Eddie is. Thorinis joined the expedition and Trista and Taltharian advised they would meet them on the way. The party traveled to Fishton and caught a ship to the Glave Woods where they traveled to the capital to seek an audience with Queen Parthalanis the ruler of the Glavewood Kingdom. Dandy was already acquainted with her and was able to use that to gain an audience with her on the 6th of Wolverine, 1129. Only Dandy and Qualin were granted an audience, and they warned the queen about the prophecy and that nefarious individuals would be after the Bow of Corellon Larethian. Qualin also requested a royal dispensation to restore the Order of the Fadalithis and clear out their old keep. Queen Parthalanis granted permission to Qualin, but stated that the bow was safe in the hands of her champion, Ranenthalentos, and would remain as such. She did thank them for their information, however. Within a day of the audience, the Heroes were approached by an elf named Larentheon, who advised that he was a cleric of Corellon Larethian and that the head of the church had a vision that the bow would fall into nefarious hands. The Heroes were dubious but agreed to meet and the next day met with an elf named Janelthalian, who stated that she had seen the vision and proposed to remove the Bow of Corellon Larethian Ranenthalentos so it could be hidden to keep safe from the enemy. Dandy openly revealed that Janelthalian had evil in her heart and the group attempted to apprehend her for the Queen's justice. However she fought back fiercely, ultimately turning into a green dragon to flee the area. Investigation revealed that the real Janelthalian had received no divine visions, and had no idea someone had been impersonating her. With a final warning to the Throne and to Ranenthalentos the Heroes departed. The Retaking of the Academy of the Fadalithis The Heroes of Prophecy sailed to the southern part of the forest and disembarking and heading east to reach the Academy. Qualin and Thorinis led the way with great zeal. On the 16th of Wolverine, they reached the fortified hall. Using a small silver mine connected to the Academy they slipped into the building. Members There were several heroes of Prophecy, though not many survived all the ordeals involved. Dedekind Fried Dedekind was a male human bard who had lost his tongue. Somewhat greedy and unable to take very much seriously, he nontheless had would always rise to the occasion. Lylena Lylena was an female elven wizard and student at the Emeron Wizard's College. Her grandmother had been a renowned mage and she wished to follow in her footsteps. Practical, but high strung, she was nonetheless an asset during the adventures. Pott'z A barbarian warrior from the Plains of Galmar, and the last survivor of his tribe. Pott'z's companions valued him for his strong combat skills, and were willing to tolerate his atrocious hygiene habits and complete lack of couth as a result of them. Ferris Gerabaldi Ferris was a half-elf wizard from another dimension that ended up on Goric along with Keysbee as a result of his master's failed experiment. Though focused mostly on finding his way back home, Ferris nonetheless made a point of helping while he was stranded on Goric. Keysbee Keysbee was a strange creature from another dimension that he called a "kender." He resembled a halfling sized elf. Carefree and with a childlike innocence, Keysbee loved adventure and seemed to have no sense of fear. His skills with lock picks and stealth proved helpful on numerous occasions. Kagami of Tawa Kagami was a female human warrior from the Shang-Tsi Empire who was in Emeron looking for a brother who had dishonored her family. Possessing a strong sense of duty and honor, Kagami tended to be stern and serious, however she had a tender heart and never turned away people in need. Booknut Booknut was a human wizard and the grandson of Beastnut. Reckless and self centered he cared for little more than his own needs and acquiring magical knowledge and power. He ultimately betrayed the Heroes of Prophecy and was forced to flee for his life. Dandy Lion A Hero of Unity as well, Dandy was suspended an animation by an evil wizard and rescued by the Heroes of Prophecy. She joined them in their adventures and travels, helping them with her magical abilities and down to earth advice. Qualinthalis Miertholas Qualin, as he would instruct non elves to call him, was an elven warrior cleric of Vesper. A member of the Order of the Fadalithis, he had fallen victim to the same wizard as Dandy Lion and was also held in suspension for fifty years. Although his main focus was to destroy the former member turned liche who betrayed and destroyed the order, he had his part to play in the prophecy as well. Dour and serious, Qualin had lost any sense of joy out of life.